THE IGNITE PROGRAM.

What is it?

The Ignite Program is an Escalino signature boot camp for youth. It’s a five full-day Social Entrepreneurship Seminar consisting of a mix of workshops, presentations and training sessions. Through hands-on experiential learning the participants are equipped with the basic tools and fundamental knowledge necessary for them to launch their own social ventures.

A typical Ignite Program covers themes such as Creativity, Innovative Thinking, Human Centred Design Thinking, User Research, Problem Discovery, Solution Identification, Asset Mapping, Prototyping, Pitching, Assumption Validation, Project Brief – and is always rounded off with a closing ceremony in which participants get to pitch their ideas in front of an audience.

By the end of the five day training participants will have expanded their knowledge of creativity and social innovation and also posses some of the managerial knowhow necessary to execute on good ideas.

How does it work?

The Ignite Program is designed especially with youth in mind and it builds upon many years of experience working with young people across countries, cultures and contexts.The program’s backbone is Escalino’s six stages of Innovation Training, where each stage equips the participants with a unique set of skills that are integral to launching a successful and sustainable social venture. Each of the six stages consists of a diverse range of hands-on workshops, discussions and presentations and is taught by highly qualified trainers who have several years experience in starting social enterprises and facilitating workshops. The teaching methodology is based on experiential and collaborative learning. We believe in the power of co-creation and Escalino trainers see themselves not as conventional teachers, but as facilitators of the learning process.. Based on experience and years of research, we are convinced that this type of learning environment is best suited to disseminate the skills and knowledge future generations need, to become socially conscious problem-solvers.

An Education for the 21st Century

Why are we doing this?

21st century societies demand a new kind of education. Simply “knowing” is not enough in todays world. In order to be successful one needs to have a better understanding of “how” to put that knowledge to effective use.Current and future challenges, demand that the current generation of young people take ownership of their own trajectory. They are capable of providing the societal leadership necessary to combat global challenges, such as poverty, increasing inequality and climate change. Innovative solutions are necessary – but they do not come out of nowhere.On the one hand, we need to better help youth discover their innovative and creative talents: and on the other hand, we need to equip youth with the tools they need to put this innovative and creative mindset to use, to the biggest benefit of society.The solutions Escalino advocates are the ones that transcend social classes and creates win-win situations for all layers of society. Yet, in order to build an ecosystem of change makers and social entrepreneurs, one must start with the youth. – And this is what we do.